Happy 40th Birthday To The Game That Started It All — Pong

On November 29th, 1972 a game was released that would change the world of video games forever. It was first released by Atari Incorporated as a multiplayer arcade game. The game became wildly popular and is now recognized as the first commercially successful video game.

Check out these 5 facts about the original Pong arcade game.

Inside the original Pong machine you will find an off-the-shelf bread pan to catch quarters.

The original Pong machine cost $1200 in 1972. The average machine would pay out $40-$50 a week, paying itself off in about 6 months.

A Pong paddle is broken into 8 segments. When the ball interacts with each segment it reacts differently, bouncing off in a pre-determined angle.

By 1974, Atari had sold over 8,000 Pong machines. This was despite the fact that the market was saturated with Pong clones.

Pong machines caused radio interference at a frequency used by the Nevada Highway Patrol. The interference was located in areas around bars and it mysteriously stopped just after 2am.